The University of Illinois Springfield women’s basketball team already wielded a slew of talented guards such as standouts Lauren Ladowski and Malea Jackson.
That stellar backcourt is even further bolstered by sophomore guard Ally Gietzel, a transfer from Illinois State.
Gietzel converted a crucial jumper and added a pair of late free throws to cement UIS’ first ever Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament victory, 60-52 over Missouri S&T at The Recreation and Athletic Center on Monday.
“We're very guard-heavy, but it seems to work,” Jackson said. “We're all pretty athletic and we can run the floor so that helps us against bigger teams. A lot of teams are bigger than us, but we just seem to find a way to mesh well together.”
This UIS group earned its place in history by overcoming a 20-13 deficit at the end of the first quarter. Ladowski, the school’s career points leader, amassed a team-high 16 points in the win.
“I think it's been fun to get my confidence back and to be able to make a big impact on a team, and this group of girls are so fun to play with,” Gietzel said. “They've made it very enjoyable.”
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on March 4, 2022.